PUBLIC TO PROVIDE INPUT IN REDESIGNING THE DOWNTOWN BERKELEY BART PLAZACommunity Drop-In Open House, Saturday, April 29, 2006

Berkeley, California (Tuesday, April 11, 2006) - The City of Berkeley is holding a drop-in open house on Saturday, April 29, 2006 from 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. at the Berkeley Central Library, Third Floor Community Meeting Room (2090 Kittredge Street), to provide an opportunity for the community to review four different design options and help select a preferred option for the redesign of the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza. Members of the public can attend at any time during the open house, and are invited to preview the design options on the City's website at .http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/transportation/BARTPlaza/BPwkshps.html.

The design options for the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza incorporate a range of potential changes, including:

Relocating the main BART rotunda to either the east side of Shattuck Avenueor to the middle of the intersection;

Changing the traffic pattern on Shattuck Avenue between Center Street and University Avenue so that traffic flows in both directions on the west side of Shattuck;

Replacing stairs with escalators at existing BART entrances;

Improving public space near the rotunda, possibly with an awning, stage area, new seating, and vendor space; and

Dedicating lanes on Shattuck Avenue exclusively to buses to either accommodate Bus Rapid Transit or to improve local bus operations and traffic flow.

This project is funded by a Transportation for Livable Communities Grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

For more information, please contact Kara Vuicich, City of Berkeley Public Works Department, Transportation Division at (510) 981-7065.